Badrinath , 13 July : The investigation into the alleged misappropriation of devotees’ offerings at Shri Badrinath Dham has taken a fresh turn after officials discovered that 32 days of CCTV footage, considered crucial evidence, are missing.
Initially, authorities claimed to have preserved 45 days of surveillance footage from the temple premises.
However, sources said the investigation team has received recordings for only a limited period, while technical experts are working to recover the missing footage.
The development comes after the departmental inquiry committee completed its investigation and submitted its report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC).
According to preliminary findings, the alleged theft of devotees’ cash offerings and valuables was not an isolated incident but reportedly occurred on multiple occasions.
Sources said the four-member inquiry committee documented its findings in an 18-page report and also recommended several measures to strengthen security and prevent similar incidents in the future.
These include installing additional CCTV cameras in the donation counting room and eliminating surveillance blind spots along the temple’s circumambulation route.
Investigators were reportedly able to retrieve only 14 days of CCTV footage before the July 2 incident. Sources attributed the missing recordings to the limited storage capacity of the temple’s older surveillance system, which could retain footage for only around 15 days.
The July 2 footage allegedly shows the accused misappropriating donation money.
Following the findings, the BKTC suspended Pramod Nautiyal on July 7 after issuing him a show-cause notice on July 3.
A four-member inquiry committee found the allegations prima facie true, while investigators continue efforts to recover the missing CCTV footage.
